The Start of a New Summer ConradBelly oneshot
by writingspaz97
Summary: Conrad and Belly have had their troubles in the past, but after a few years, they're happily dating and Jeremiah is out of the picture.  Will they take their relationship to the next level?


Summer One-Shot

Conrad and Belly

The Proposal

**_A/N: So yeah, this is my first fan fiction... A one-shot of the Summer series by Jenny Han. Just to be honest, I have nooo idea what I'm doing. I don't think this is my best work, and I think Conrad is a bit out of character... you'll see what I meant. But there was a purpose to all of it. So I hope you like it!_**

It was a late night in June when the banging was heard. I groaned, reaching for my alarm clock. I pressed buttons, thinking the sound was my alarm. I ended up turning the radio on. I opened one eye, staring at the monstrosity that was playing Adele at freaking eleven o'clock at night. The banging resumed, and this time I knew that someone was at the front door. I opened both of my eyes, sitting up slowly. I stretched, and slowly flung my legs over the side of the bed, and stood up. I grabbed my robe, tying it, and I walked downstairs, putting the light on as I walked.

My mom was in Cousins already. She apparently had some business to take care of around there, so she decided to crash at the beach house. Steven and I were going there tomorrow. It wasn't summer until we were at the house. Summer officially began tomorrow. Also, Conrad would be there. We began dating a few years after mine and Jeremiah's wedding was canceled. This time, things were going well with Conrad and me. That's why I was frustrated when I heard the banging on the door. This was my chance to get a good night's sleep since tomorrow was the first day at Cousins. On the first day, we had a tradition. Make hot chocolate, sit by the fire, and watch movies until the early hours of the morning. I automatically knew that there was no way Steven heard the banging on the door. He slept like the dead.

I yawned as I reached the front door. Drowsily, I peered through the peep hole. Looking through, I saw Conrad standing there. He was bouncing on his heels, staring at the front door anxiously. I was asleep. I must have been dreaming. Conrad was supposed to be on his way to Cousins where we would finally see each other tomorrow after weeks of not seeing each other because of our Senior Year at College. I unlocked the front door, opening it. We just stared at each other. I blink a couple of times.

"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" I mumble.

Conrad grinned, "Finally you answer the door, and that's my greeting?"

I step forward, and he immediately wraps his arms around me. I close my eyes, breathing in his scent. "Mm, this has to be a dream. It's a good one, though."

He kisses my head, grabbing my hand. He began leading me to his rusty truck. I stop.

"Belly…"

No matter how old I grew, he still called me by my childish nickname. Every year at Cousins, we still joked about the Belly Flop. Jeremiah went to the beach house last year, and he had begun calling me Isabel. Even my mom and Steven were calling me by my real name. I was a lady now; finally done with college. Yet, Conrad still called me Belly… And I had to admit, I liked it when he did call me that. It brought back memories of all the summers we spent together. Some memories being good; some being bad. It made me realize how our relationship has changed in the last couple of years.

"I can't just leave! Steven will be worried… And I'm supposed to be heading up to Cousins tomorrow… Why are you here, Con? Not that I'm happy to see you, because I am… And I'm wearing a robe! I'm not even finished packing yet for Cousins… And-" Conrad placed his finger on my lips, forcing me to stop my rambling.

"Send Steven a text. Get what you've already packed. You still have some clothes at the house. And I know that we were supposed to be seeing each other tomorrow… But I couldn't wait." I couldn't really see him, considering it was dark out, but at that moment, I saw him. I didn't see his face. But it was like I saw what he was feeling. Nervous. Vulnerable. This was Conrad we were talking about. He rarely showed signs of either. It made me feel nervous. What was Conrad really up too? But I went with it. I went upstairs, changed into a pair of khaki shorts and a white tank top, and packed a few more things in my large suitcase. I went into Steven's room, leaving him a note on his laptop. Then I went downstairs, grabbed an apple, and met Conrad in his truck. And now we were on our way to Cousins at one in the morning. I wasn't so tired anymore.

We arrived at Cousins at about three in the morning. We stopped at Denny's on the way to eat a very early breakfast. He's been acting strange since he picked me up. Conrad still didn't tell me why he brought me here one day earlier. He was nervous, I could easily tell. He had a million thoughts swarming in that complicated mind of his, which made me think. What if he was breaking up with me? I don't think I'd be able to live that down. But if that was the case, Conrad wouldn't be holding my hand right now as we parked in the three-car garage. My mom's car was also in the garage, so I knew she was probably sleeping upstairs in Susannah's room. I felt a twinge of sadness, thinking about her. Jeremiah's car was in the driveway, and I knew he was sleeping in his bedroom that was across the hall from mine. I get out of the truck, wrapping my arms around myself at the slight breeze that enveloped me. I stop and stare at the beach, closing my eyes, and thinking about all that happened out there. Just a couple of years ago, Conrad told me he still loved me on that very beach. Just a couple of years ago, my wedding was supposed to be there. Just a couple of years ago, everything changed. That beach had witnessed it all.

Conrad beckoned for me to come into the house. I followed him, and took off my shoes upon entering. I looked around. Everything was still the same. The same living room; the same kitchen; the same hallway; the same everything. I smiled.

"Good to be home," I whispered to myself.

I felt hands wrap around from behind me, and I instantly knew it was Conrad. I leaned back into his embrace. "Want to go to the beach?" he asked quietly. I turned around, placing my hands on his shoulders. "The beach? Now? Why not go tomorrow morning?" Conrad looked nervous again. He stuttered, "Well I, um, figured you'd, um, want to go to the beach since, um, we haven't been here in a while, you know, and I mean, I guess, um, we don't have to go, but um, I really need to tell you something, and oh crap, um, I mean-"

I chuckle, kissing Conrad on his nose. "You're cute when you're nervous."

Conrad grinned, and I reached for his hand, and dragged him to the French doors. I open them, and we began walking down the steps to the beach. He released my hand, placing his hands in his pockets. I followed him until we reached a specific spot. I looked around, and I spotted the initials on the rock he stopped at.

**J.C.B**

Jeremiah. Conrad. Belly.

We engraved our initials into this rock when I was eight, Conrad ten, and Jeremiah nine. We wanted to 'mark our territory,' as Jeremiah put it. I laughed remembering Conrad saying that he wasn't going to piss on the rock.

Conrad reached over, tracing the engravings with his fingertips. He was deep in thought, his right hand still in his pocket. I noticed he was fidgeting with something. "Remember this?" He asked.

I nod, "How could I forget?"

He turned to me and smiled. "That day was important to me. I remember you came down the stairs in your Lizzie McGuire one-piece bathing suit, and your hair was in a tangled knot on your head. You were carrying a pail and a shovel, and I remember that I was wearing my Ninja Turtles swim trunks. Mom was trying to put sun screen on me, but I didn't want too. And you came to my rescue. You said: 'Beck, if Conrad doesn't want to put that on, then you shouldn't make him!' And then you grabbed my hand and dragged me away before mom could grab me again. We walked down those stairs, and you still held my hand. You stood up for me."

I raised my eyebrows at Conrad, "Con, that was just sunscreen."

Conrad nodded, staring at the rock again. I remember Conrad named the rock Michael-Angelo after a Ninja Turtle. "True… But back then, it had a big impact on me. I was ten. Whenever someone helped me out of something I didn't want to do, like putting on sunscreen, they make a big impact."

I walk up to him, grabbing his hand. "Well, I guess I need to be sunscreen on you more often then."

He chuckles, "Guess so. Come on." I follow him walk toward the shore, but before we got to close to the water, he stops. He bends down, grabbing a white shell. He dusts it off and blows on it to make sure all the sand was off before handing it to me. I hold the small, white shell in the palm of my hand.

"Remember how you, Jere, and I would come down here sometimes and pick out shells?"

I smile, nodding. "Yeah. I must have millions of these shells up in my room. Remember when I wanted to start a collection and you said that it was stupid, but then I made fun of your stamps collection, and you didn't talk to me for an entire day?" Conrad stared at the sand, running his bare feet through it. "Yeah," he said sheepishly, "I remember that. Remember that shell necklace I bought you?" I nodded, "A lot of memories with these shells, huh?"

We stood there silently, until I see something fall out of Conrad's hand and into the sand. I point to where it fell, "I think you dropped something." Conrad scrunched his nose, looking around in the sand. "Did I?" I nod, bending down and looking for the thing that Conrad dropped. It was still dark out, but the sun was slowly making its appearance known by now.

I grabbed it. It was white… Or it might have been silver. I frown, picking it up for further examination. I blow away the sand, and I notice instantly that it was a ring that Conrad had dropped. I looked up at him, "Since when did you begin wearing rings?" Conrad shook his head, "I don't."

I look at the ring in my hand, and my heart nearly stopped beating as I stared down at the lovely ring in my hand. The ring was simple; the band being silver and the diamond not too big. But as I stared at it, I realized it wasn't a diamond. It was a shell. The shell was small and it seemed to glisten and sparkle whichever way you turned it. I didn't know it was possible. If I hadn't looked at it closely, I would have assumed it was a diamond.

I look up at Conrad in confusion.

"I… But… huh?" I said dumbly.

Conrad grabbed the ring from my hand, and he looked at it for a minute. "I'm not very good at this sort of thing, so bear with me, Belly," he began quietly.

I just stared at him, like the dumb idiot that I was.

"I couldn't wait to bring you to Cousins because I wanted to ask you now. I didn't want to ask when Steven got here, because chaos would erupt, and I doubt everyone would leave us alone. So I wanted to do it when no one knew we were here. I, um, I showed you those things… The rock and this spot in the sand because those were just two of the many memories we have here. This beach is important to us… To you, and to me. I figured this was the best place to propose."

_Propose. _ I stared, wide-eyed, as Conrad slowly bent down on one knee.

"You're supposed to do this, right? Bend down on one knee. Oh, God, Conrad, you're making such a freaking fool of yourself," he began talking to himself. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of him freaking out. For God's sake, he was proposing to me, and he was nervous whether or not he was doing it right or not. I felt hot tears well up in my eyes, and I blink, letting a few go and run down my cheeks and into the sand. Conrad noticed. He looked up at me, panicking.

"Oh crap, now you're crying! I knew this wasn't right! You're going to say no, and I'm just going to sit here and feel like an idiot and..."

I reach down, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. He looked up at me, confused. I laugh softly, "Continue, would you?"

After a few seconds, Conrad took a deep breath and continued talking. "Belly… I mean, Isabel… We've been dating these past couple of years… And I know things were rocky at first, considering our past, but we got through it. When you were going to marry Jeremiah, I just couldn't deal with it. I almost ruined everything when I told you how I felt when I found out that Jere had cheated on you at the bachelor party that night. You ran off crying, and you didn't want me to talk to you-"

"Con, is this going to get good soon?"

Conrad looked up, his eyes widening as he realized he was bringing up some bad memories. "This has a point, I promise."

I nod.

"Well, Taylor told me that I had to make a choice, and fast because I was the reason why you were always in grief. I was the reason for all the pain you felt. So that's why I left, and didn't go to the wedding. Not to mention Jere wanted to kill me, but that's beside the point. I didn't like the fact that I was always making you feel that way. So that's why I've been so… Cautious in this relationship… But now, I've come to realize that you're not sad anymore. That must mean I've been doing something right. So, I decided to stop being a wimp, and to just do it. To make you mine forever. I love you, Belly. I'm sorry for everything I've done in the past… It won't be forgotten… But, I was hoping for a new start. A new chapter in our life to be able to make new memories. Will you marry me?"

Tears cascaded down my cheeks, and I placed two fingers underneath Conrad's chin, bringing him to stand up. "Is that a yes?" he asked. I nod, smiling. "Yes, it's a yes!" He smiles ecstatically, putting the ring onto my ring finger. Except, it didn't fit. Conrad frowned, taking the ring off, and trying again. My finger was just too fat. Conrad looked up at me, laughter in his eyes.

He grinned, "Your finger's just too fat, Belly."

I stomped my foot, like I used too when I was upset. "It's not too fat! You just got a small ring… Didn't you even bother to ask Taylor what my ring size is?" His face drained of color, and he slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"Idiot," he muttered to himself.

I took his hand off his face, smiling as I stood up on tip-toe so I could easily kiss him.

"I love you, Con," I said, smiling cheekily. "And I love my too-small engagement ring." I grabbed the ring out of his hand, kissing it. Conrad pouted, "So the ring gets a kiss, yet your fiancé doesn't?"

I grin, leaning up as he leans down, connecting our lips in a much anticipated kiss.

***Biting finger nails* Idk... Was it good? Probably not. I just wanted to address a few things:**

**1)Conrad was nervous, so that's why he was out of character... He's one to be quiet, and he's kind of an outcast but he never really shows that he's nervous, which is a surprise to Belly. **

**2) I haven't read this series in a while, so I was mainly going by memory... I probably got some things wrong. I'm sorry about that.**

**3)I wanted to show how things may change, but not everything does. Like, with the whole ring being to big for her finger, and stuff... I wanted to show that some things never change at the summer house. If that makes sense? I wanted to show that Conrad had no idea what to do, because he's not one to be romantic and stuff... So I tried to make it seem like Conrad was freaking out. And I wanted to make it seem that they may be grown up, but they still possess their childish antics.  
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**4) If you have any suggestions, PM me please! I'm new on fanfiction, and stuff... Hopefully I'll post more things in the future :)**

**Thanks for reading!  
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